Get free Starwood SPG Gold status after just one night

A single night's stay at any Starwood group hotel – including Sheraton, Westin and W properties – can land you free Gold status in the Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) loyalty program, provided you have the right credit card.

MasterCard's World and World Elite plastic – which encompasses the Commonwealth Bank’s Diamond Awards and Westpac’s Earth and Altitude Black cards – are what you need to grab gratis Gold.

After registering your credit card against your SPG number you’ll just need to pay for one stay at a property within the Asia Pacific region, although this includes hotels within Australia, using your World or World Elite MasterCard to enjoy this one-time status boost.

Even if you’re only staying once and for a single night, that’s enough to earn SPG Gold status for an entire year.

The perks include a 4pm checkout, room upgrades on availability, a priority customer service line and 50% more Starpoints.

You’re also given the choice of a ‘welcome gift’ of bonus Starpoints, free in-room Internet access or a free drink after the qualifying stay.

After your free year is up, you’ll need 10 stays within a calendar year or at least 25 nights in the same period to retain your Gold status – the same requirements imposed on other Starwood members attaining and retaining Gold Preferred.

Starwood warns that it could take up to four weeks for your SPG status to be updated, with the promotion ending on July 13 2015.

Still, that’s plenty of time to grab Gold status either this year or in the next.

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Chris C.

Chris is a a former contributor to Executive Traveller.